2015... Bring it on!

[Rod Baker, Content Director] Right, you got your bonus in December so that's under the bridge and now you are feeling sort of...you know...restless. So rather than the devil you know, you are coming around to the thought that this could be a good time to make a change. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] 2013 ended sadly, with Madiba's passing, but that means that we can now go into 2014 with the hope that this year will be better than the last.
We in the media have the Protection of State Information Bill hanging over us; Jacob Zuma has only to sign it into law, but that in itself will, we're sure, provide for some very interesting times this year and possibly into the future, because it is almost certain that the law will be challenged, right up to the Constitutional Court.
South Africa is fortunate in having a vibrant and independent media (apart from some notable exceptions) and that should ensure that any government hoping to hide the truth will face a long, hard battle.
So let's head into 2014 in a positive frame of mind - even if in years to come, some may look back on them as "the bad old days".
Today sees the first of our newsletters for 2014 and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all... read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] For many people, the phrase maritime piracy evokes images of a one-eyed sailor drinking rum and singing obscene songs. For some younger people, piracy may bring to mind the picture of Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, wearing a headband in a scene from the film Pirates of the Caribbean.
The reality is very different - and decidedly unpleasant, and as pirates shift their operations, it seems there is a a bumpy road to maritime security when combating piracy in West Africa.
On the labelling front, you will no longer see a nurturing mother feeding her happy baby a bottle of formula milk as an advertisement in any newspaper, magazine, on a website or on television. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] Of all the types of hunting in which people involve themselves, the one that probably is the most controversial is so-called canned hunting, in which the prey is not given a fighting chance to escape, but instead is confined in an enclosure and then gets its guts blown apart. Fair and sporting. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] It's difficult to have much sympathy for rhino poachers. No, actually, make that 'it's difficult to have any sympathy for rhino poachers' who suffer from lead poisoning. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] Countries across Africa need to work together to combat rhino poaching, says the International Police Organisation (Interpol), adding that there needs to be a free flow of information between organisations and nations if the scourge is to be eradicated.
How sad that our heritage is being destroyed as a result of a stupid, backward, and quite frankly laughable belief that belongs back in the Dark Ages. Rhino horn is simply keratin... read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] A lawyer/client relationship is rather like a doctor/patient relationship at least in one area - full and honest communication - which is the basis for a good relationship, right?
The problem is sometimes, however, in any conversation, that we avoid telling it like it is because we want to be polite. So in this article, when it comes to legal issues, Jody Doyle takes you through a few things your lawyer may be too polite to tell you.
Geez, what a dump - and you own it? At first sight, one might be forgiven for wondering who might have an issue over the ownership of what many of us reckon is little more than a blot on the landscape, but Jackwell Feris takes a look at mine dumps in South Africa and how they can be an ownership dilemma.
Top farmers are valuable, so it's great that the Western Cape Farmer of the Year has been announced. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] There are many measures the average South African would like to take to those poaching our rhinos in order to feed what most of us reckon is a pathetically primitive belief. Those measures might often include a quiet word with those found guilty with the aid of a baseball bat in a deserted building far, far away. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] This has got to beat everything... a Chinese couple is facing criminal charges after selling their daughter for an iPhone.
Look, as just about every parent knows, you don't always necessarily like your kids (sometimes you wonder why you even bothered to have the ungrateful little buggers), but you always love them - and selling off your daughter and then using part of the proceeds to buy an iPhone is just plain wrong - in anyone's language, in anyone's culture.
It's that fracking subject again... read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director] Transport minister Dipuo Peters says the billboards with the message "E-tolls. Proudly brought to you by the ANC." is the work of cowards.
The DA has admitted to being the naughty ones who erected them, and its Gauteng premier candidate Mmusi Maimane points out that, "E-tolls were conceived under the watch of an ANC minister, supported by an ANC executive in Gauteng, passed into law by an ANC majority Parliament and signed, sealed and delivered by an ANC president."
Quite so, and none of which the ANC denies - so what's the problem?
What happens when the "bluff" is no longer a bluff? Chris Moerdyk looks at why Numsa is calling BMW's bluff, and wonders what might happen when car makers finally decide: enough! Also see Government to talk to car makers: Gordhan. read more

[Rod Baker, Content Director]Michael Jordaan has joined Mxit. Jordaan is the former CEO of First National Bank and a recent recipient of the CNBC Africa Business Leader of the Year for Southern Africa award, and will join Mxit as chairman of its board of directors.
He says, "It is difficult not to have a sense of pride about a home-grown South African company making such an impact in the social media and mobile space. read more